Teach fledgling pilots to take a critical look at weather to identify risk. [Credit: FLYING Archive]
Key Takeaways:
The article addresses the issue of student pilots giving vague weather reports like "pretty good," stressing the need for objective risk identification, assessment, and mitigation in weather reporting.
It recommends utilizing Chapter 7, section 7-1-7 of the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM), which defines categorical weather terms (LIFR, IFR, MVFR, VFR) with specific ceiling and visibility criteria.
Instructors should actively teach students to identify and describe specific sky conditions during flights, linking them to these AIM categories to cultivate the mindset for giving useful, informal pilot reports.
Question: What is the best way to teach the student pilots how to give an informal pilot report beyond “pretty good”? I am a newbie instructor, and it drives me crazy when you ask them how the conditions are up there, and they say “pretty good.” That doesn’t tell us anything.
Answer: I agree with you completely. “Pretty good” is in the eye of the beholder and subjective at best.
CREATE A FREE ACCOUNT
Sign up to keep reading
Create a free account to continue. Already a member? Sign in below.
Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
![Teach fledgling pilots to take a critical look at weather to identify risk. [Credit: FLYING Archive]](https://www.flyingmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/httpswww.flyingmag.comsitesflyingmag.comfilesimport2013sitesallfiles_images201302Tip-Pireps-thumb.jpg)
